The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has extended the deadline for businesses and individuals to pay outstanding fees for expatriate workers.
On July 24, the ministry released a list of expatriates whose fees had not been paid and set an initial deadline of August 12 for the collection of fines from those owing more than USD 6,500 in fees and penalties. By the end of the deadline, USD 12 million had been recovered, but the government is still owed USD 29 million.
The list identified 1,026 entities, including businesses and individuals across various sectors, with outstanding fees and fines exceeding USD 6,500. Notably, 123 companies owe more than a million dollars each, with some debts exceeding USD 1.7 million.
The ministry has now extended the deadline to August 31, urging all entities to settle their fees and penalties by this date. The ministry has warned that failure to comply will result in the cancellation and suspension of services provided through the Expat system.
In a broader effort to regularise illegal immigrants, the government is developing a comprehensive solution. This includes ranking agencies that bring in expatriates to ensure a more systematic approach. Additionally, the government is working to centralise information on all foreigners in the Maldives into a unified database, with the aim of resolving related issues within the next three years.